Device for actuating hatch-covers and the like



Dec. 20, 1960 H. KUMMERMAN DEVICE FOR ACTUATING HATCH-COVERS AND THE LIKE Filed NOV. 18, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 20, 1960 H. KUMMERMAN DEVICE FOR ACTUATING HATCH-COVERS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 18, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 20, 1960 H. KUMMERMAN DEVICE FOR ACTUATING HATCH-COVERS AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 18, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 P mm S mm Q $0 a Q Q) s Q Q Q Q m bx. NM mm, WT

United States Patent DEVICE FOR ACTUATING HATCH-COVERS AND THE LIKE Henri Kummerman, Paris, France, assignor to International MacGregor Organization (I.M.G.O.), a corporaration of Casablanca, Morocco Filed Nov. 18, 1957, Ser. No. 697,183

Claims priority, application France Jan. 7, 1957 14 Claims. (Cl. 114-202) The present invention relates in general to devices for opening and closing hatches or hatch-covers of ships hatchways and like apertures on ships, railway cars and the like, as well as any other outdoor or open-air space, and it has specific reference to an improved device of this general character, of the type utilizing elements sliding or rolling on the edges of the apertures to be closed, which are adapted to be either developed or spread over this aperture to close same, or placed along one or more edges of the aperture to permit a free access through the full area of the aperture.

The device according to this invention is remarkable notably in that it comprises a rack-and-pinion mechanism or the like, positioned between the edge of the aperture and at least one of the elements of the closing cover, said pinion being driven from a motor or cylinder of any adequate type, for example hydraulic, electric or other.

According to another feature of this invention and to a preferred embodiment thereof, a rack or like member is secured on at least one of the edges of the aperture to be closed, the toothed pinion being carried by the hatch or hatches to be actuated.

According to this invention and to another possible embodiment thereof, a rack or like member is secured on at least one of the side edges or in the central region of at' least one of the hatch elements, whereas the toothed pinion is mounted on a pin secured on the edge of the aforesaid aperture to be closed.

From the foregoing, it will be readily understood that a device constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention is characterized by many advantages. The problem to be solved is constantly present in the construction of ships, railway cars, open-air or hurried sheds, etc. Admittedly, the cover elements utilized for closing apertures in similar cases may be classified in different groups. Thus, the covers may be separate from one another, interconnected through flexible or rigid coupling means such as levers, links, etc., or pivoted on one another, etc. The device according to this invention is applicable to all types of panels and permit their operation automatically and through remote control means, a -feature particularly advantageous and desirable on ships and railway cars. Moreover, the present trend among builders and manufacturers is to provide selfoperating devices adapted to cause covers such as hatchcovers and the like to be remote-controlled without resorting to hand labour. Now, the device according to this invention is adapted fully to meet this requirement and ischaracterized by the additional advantage of being extremely simple and economical to manufacture.

This invention is also concerned, by way of novel industrial articles, with the panels, hatch-covers and the like, designed for operation by means of the aforesaid actuating 'device, and is also extended to the various applications of the device to existing panels and covers of all types known up to now.

'Other features and advantages of this invention will appear as the following description proceeds with referassists Patented Dec. 20, 1960,

ence to the accompanying drawings forming part of this invention and illustrating diagrammatically by way of example a few typical embodiments of the invention. In the drawings:

Figure l is a diagrammatic elevational view showing the use of the control device according to this invention in the case of a pair of hingedly interconnected panels;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view showing in longi-. tudinal section a hatch-cover and the hatch-coaming utilized in the embodiment of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail view showing on a larger scale the device of this invention;

Figure 4 is a plane view showing two independenttype panels provided with the control device according to this invention;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of the arrangement illustrated in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic plane view showing a modified embodiment of the separate panel arrangement; and

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic section taken upon the line VII-VII of Figure 6.

In the exemplary form of embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, is shown the case of a ship and of a pair of hatches for closing a hatchway. More particularly, this example illustrates the case of the use of hatches or panels consisting of two hingedly interconnected elements. These hatches are designated; by the reference numerals 1, and 2 and the hatchway-- coaming proper is shown at 3. Both hatches are hingedly: interconnected at 4 and also on the hatchway coaming ati 5. The end hatch 2 carries a roller 6 so that it can move. along the hatchway during the hold closing and opening operations. When the hatchway is being opened, both'; hatches are folded in the manner illustrated in dotted: lines in Figure l.

Up to now, the operation of hatches of this generali character was effected by means either of ropes actuated;

from a derrick mast, or of rams acting between the-- coarning and the relevant end of the hatch 1. With the: device of this invention, which is described hereafter, the use of these conventional means may be dispensedwitlr;v

As shown more in detail in Figures 2 and 3, the hatch-.= 2 carries in the region of the roller 6 a motor 7, a reducing gear 8 and two half-shafts 9, 10 with if desired the. interposition of flexible coupling means 11, 12. Each: half-shaft 9, 10 carries at its end 'a bevel pinion 13, 14- meshing with another bevel pinion 15, 16 respectively..- The shafts on which the bevel pinions 15, 16 mounted are connected through a universal joint, a knee-joint or likecoupling device illustrated diagrammatically at 17 and 18 to the shafts of toothed wheels 19, 20 disposed in a hori-; zontal plane and the shafts rotatably support the toothed wheels 19, 20 on guide means 19'. The purpose of the universal knee-joint or like coupling device is to transmit the rotational movement to the toothed wheels 19, 20 while enabling same to remain horizontal during the movement of the relevant hatch cover 2 (see the dotted lines in Figure l). In fact it is necessary to have the wheels 19, 20 always occupying a horizontal position when the relevant panel 2 is being lifted. During this lifting, panel 2 can be com sidered as having its end rotating about a horizontal axis which would be perpendicular to the axis of pinions 19, 20 (cfr. the two positions of cover 2 in Figure 1). Inorder to enable this movement, the invention provides a universal joint or knee-like coupling 17 well'known in the 2 art transmitting the rotation of shaft 9 and 'bevel pinio-ns 13, 15 to the pinions 19, 20 (Figure 3). It iS apparentthat; shaft 9 together with the pinions 13, 15 being secured to panel 2- rotates-therewith (position shown in dotted; lines on Figure 1). On the other hand, the meshing engagement between the'respective teeth of the rack 23 and pinion 19 prevents this latter to follow the movement. The knee-like coupling 17 afiords in such conditions the transmission of the rotation of shaft 9 to pinion 19.

Theassembly consisting of the diiferent :gears is enclosed for example-in cases 21 and 22.

.Extending along the lateral edgesof the 'hatchway are racks 23, 24 preferably protected by sheet metal or section members 25, '26. The teeth of these racks extend vertically and their length is such that the toothed wheels 19, 20 will constantly mesh therewith during the opening and closing movements of the hatches 1, 2.

Of course, the motor '7 may be electric, hydraulic, pneumatic, etc. and controlled from :a remote location, if de, sired.

The operation of the device is extremely simple.

When the motor 7 is started, the half-shafts 9, 10 drive the toothed wheels '19, 20 respectively which, by rolling along their corresponding racks 23, 24 cause the outer end of the hatch 2 to move in the direction of the arrow F, by rolling on the roller 6 along the edge of the coaming. Any known and suitable device, for example a cam, lever, link or like device may be provided for preventing the hatches from abutting against each other and start the folding movement of the hatches. The reverse movement takes place when the direction of rotation of the motor 7 is reversed to close the hatches.

In the specific embodiment illustrated inFigures and 6 an arrangement comprising hatch-covers of difierent designs-is shown. In this case, the hatches are movable sidewise, that is, atright angles to the ships axis designated hy't'he line X-X in' Figure 4. As a rule, hatches of this character are caused to move or roll to some distance away from the hatch-coaming and this movement is effected through ropes actuated from winches or derrick masts carried by the ship.

.In the example illustrated, the arrangement comprises two hatch covers 27, 28 each provided with rollers 29, 30

and legs 31, '32 provided in turn with rollers 33 and 34.

As shown more in detail in Figure 5, the hatch 27 is closed and the hatch 28 is open. The closed hatch 27 bears on sealing or weather strips (not shown) and to this end the roller 33 carried by the leg 31 is disposed at a relatively low location so as to bear directly on the deck at 35 On the otherhand, both rollers 29, 30 extend through notches 36,37 formed in the hatch-coaming 3 and bear on levers or links 38, 39 respectively, these levers or links being pivoted at 40 and 41 on fixed'points and are interconnected by rods-44 or the like. This assembly is actuated by means of a ram 45 or the like so that the cor-- responding hatch cover may be lifted or lowered to a very reduced extent. To hold-the'hatch in its raised position a race 46 engaged by the roller 33 is disposed above the deck level 35.

Racks or like toothed 'means47 extending practically throughout the length of the hatch cover are provided in the central region of each hatch cover 27, 28. These racks or like members have vertical teeth in meshing engagement with a pinion 48. Therespective sets of teeth of the pinions and racks are so calculated thattheir meshing engagement is'maintainedirrespective of the lowam-plitude vertical displacement of the hatches which is occasionated by the compression and expansion of the sealing'or weather strips. 7

The pinion 48 is actuated from a hydraulic,electric or like'motor 49 for example, through the medium of a reducing gear 50.

Figure 5 "shows-that the hatch cover element 28 is in itsopen position-and the'location of the rack is clearly visible in this-figure (right-hand half of the figure) and the other hatch cover element 27 iS'ClOSCdgOIIlY-ihfi -device-for releasing the sealing-stripsbeingapparentin this portionof the-figure. "It will be readily understood that instead of providing a single rack perhatch -cover and positioning same centrally of the element, two racks may be provided in this; case, one rack is disposed along each longitudinal side-of the hatchway.

, If a single central rack is provided a complementary roller 51 will be preferably arranged for constantly urging the rack against thedriving' pinion 48.

Of course, when relatively large-sized hatch covers are to be equipped with the actuating *device of this invention, it will be preferable to provide a rack on each longitudinal side of the hatch, instead of a single central rac In the modified embodiment illustrated in Figures6 and 7, the exemplary construction comprisesa hatchway coverstructure comprising two hatches of the type illustrated in Figures4 and 5, that is, adapted to move at right angles to the longitudinal axis X--X of the ship or hold. In other words, the hatch covers 52, 53 are movable in the direction of the arrows F and F The hatchway proper is designated by the reference numeral 54 and the coaming by the reference numeral 55. These hatches are provided with a pair of rollers 56, 57 as well as with a supporting leg 58 also provided with a roller 59 engaging a race 60 secured on and flush with the deck of the ship and also a raised ramp 61 disposed very slightly above the level of the race 60. The description of the roller and race arrangement on one side of the hatch is only illustrative, for as a matter of fact, these rollers are disposed by pairs to support thehatch on both sides as will be readily understood by anybody conversant with the art.

In the example illustrated, each hatch element 52,53 comprises, preferably on both lateral sides, racks 62, '62 having vertical teeth adapted to be engaged by the teeth of pinions 63, 63' jounrnalled on pins 64, 64' pertaining for example to rams 65, 65'. On the edge of the coaming which is adjacent to each edge of the hatch cover elements 52, 53 which carry the racks 62, 62', registering racks 66, 66' also in meshing engagement with the pinions 63, 63' are provided. 1

The combined lengths of these racks 62 and 66, on'the one hand, and 62' and 66', on the other hand are calculaterl to slightly exceed the width of the relevant hatch cover element. In any case, their lengths are so determined that the pinion 63 or 63 is constantly and simultaneously in meshing engagement with both racks associated therewith.

To raise or lower these hatch-cover elements off and on the relevant sealing strips respectively, that is, from'and to their closed positions, various known means may "be provided.

One way of effecting this movement is illustrated in the drawings, and notably in'Figure 7. It is the same-as that illustrated in Figure 4. The two levers 38, 39 have one arm disposed beneath slots 67, 67' (see Figure 6) permitting the passage of part of the rollers or wheels 56, 57 of each hatch-cover element.

The operation of the device just described is very simple. In Figure 6, it is assumed that both hatch-cover elements 52, 53 are in their closed position To open the hatchway,

the operator actuates the rams 65, 65' so that the pins 64, 64' move in the direction of the arrow F thus causing the displacement of the wheels 63, 63 in their planes and therefore their rotation in the direction of the arrow F This rotational movement F will obviously move the wheels 63, 63 along the racks 66, 66' and drive the other racks 62, 62' in the direction of the arrow F .From the foregoing, it is apparent that the hatch-coverelement 53 will move in the direction of thearrow F Ihe'same result will occur in the case of the otherhatch-cover ele men-t 52. It will be readily understood'that beforegefiect ing this operation the elements 52, 53 :are .raised by actuating the device described hereabove to break {the sealing strips.

reverse direction, the hatch cover elements resume their closed position.

Of course, the height of the racks 62, 62' and 66, 66 as well as the size of the pinions 63, 63' will be so selected that the vertical movement resulting from the opening and closing of the sealing strips may take place without interfering with the meshing engagement. It is obvious that several devices of the type described can be used in a single hatch each controlling but certain only of the panels.

It will be readily understood that the invention is not limited to the few embodiments described and illustrated therein as many modifications may be brought thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a closing device for ships hatches, railway trucks and like plants having an aperture to be opened and closed, cover panel elements riding on the edges of said aperture for opening and closing same, water tight sealing means between the edges of said aperture and said panels to form a sealing joint when the cover panels occupying their closing position and being lowered with regard to said edge engage said sealing means, cooperating rack and pinion control means between one at least of said panels and the said edge, the said racks having vertically and laterally extending teeth, whereas the pinions are situated in a horizontally extending plane, and actuating means provided for said cooperating control means for causing their relative displacement resulting in a to-andfro riding movement of said panels.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the rack means are provided on at least one of said panels, whereas a shaft is mounted on the edge of said aperture and carries the said cooperating pinion means.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein the said rack means are secured to the edge of at least one panel and are displaceable therewith, whereas the said actuating means are fixedly secured to said aperture edges.

4. A device according to claim 2 wherein the rack means are provided on the substantially central portion of at least one of said panels, whereas a shaft is mounted on the edge of said aperture and carries the said cooperating pinion means.

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein the panels are of the type movable in a direction which is substantial- 1y at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the aperture, means being provided below the said panels for raising said latter in order to free them from said sealing means before opening said aperture.

6. A device according to claim 5 wherein said raising means consist of link means intended to support the panels, of ram means acting on said link means, slot means in the marginal portion of said aperture edges, said links protruding through said slots to lift and lower the panels.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein supporting leg means with rollers extend laterally of said panels, and resting on the ships deck and slightly inclined guideways on the ships deck for said rollers to promote the hatch opening movement of said panels.

8. A device according to claim 4 as a ships hatch, a railway open truck and the like, comprising at least two oppositely situated panels forming a pair of panels, and extending and movable transversely to the general longitudinal direction of said aperture, roller means on the lateral edges of said covers cooperating with the edges of said aperture, supporting leg members with rollers resting on the ships deck laterally extending from the said panels, water tight sealing means between the edges of said aperture and said panels, slots in said edges for locating said roller means when the panels occupy tlicir closing position and when the sealing joints are closed, link means below said slots for lifting said roller means to bring them on the edge in rolling condition and lowering them back into the slots when the joints are to he closed and the panels to occupy their closing position, a centrally located rack with laterally extending teeth on the lower side of said panels, pinion means cooperating with said racks stationary located adjacently to the edge of said aperture, the teeth of said rack and pinions being dimensioned so as to prevent'any disengagement thereof when the panels are lowered and lifted and actuating means for said pinions to rotate them to bring the panels in their closing and opening position.

9. A device according to claim 8 wherein the panels are each provided with aft-and-front roller means, whereas connecting link means are provided to operatively interconnect said link means acting respectively on said aftand-front roller means.

10. A device according to claim 2 comprising at least one rack on at least one of the edges of the panels, at least one rack on the edges of the said aperture registering with the said racks on the panels, pinion means between said racks simultaneously meshing with both said racks and actuating means for said pinion means, whereby the rack on said panel is displaced with respect to the rack on said aperture.

11. A device according to claim 10 wherein said actuating means consist of fixedly mounted ram means adjacent to the edges of said aperture, said ram means having an axis executing a rectilinear to-and-fro motion and carrying said pinion means which are loosely mounted thereon.

12. A device according to claim 10 wherein the two racks pertaining to one side of a panel are longitudinally offset so as to have each of them extend from opposite ends of the panel and have a length exceeding the length of the movement of said panel when displaced from the closing to the opening position, whereas the aforesaid pinion means situated between said two racks always remain in meshing engagement with said latter.

13. In a closing device for ships hatches, railway open trucks and like plants having an aperture to be opened and closed, at least one pair of hingedly interconnected and substantially vertically folded cover panels, a first panel of said pair of panels being hingedly connected to the edge of said aperture, riding means on the free end of the second panel of said pair to support same on the edges of said aperture during the folding operation, longitudinally extending rack means on the edges of said aperture which are perpendicular with regard to the direction of the hinge connection between said first panel and the said edge, laterally and vertically extending teeth on said rack, horizontally situated toothed pinion means on said free end of said second panel operatively engaging the teeth of said rack, and actuating means carried by said second panel to rotate said pinion means for causing them to move along the rack and to control the riding to-and-fro motion of said second panel and thereby the folding and unfolding of the pair of panels resulting in the opening and closing of said aperture and sealing means provided be tween the edges of said aperture and the said panels, forming a water tight joint when the panels occupy their closing position upon being lowered and seated on the said edges, the relative extension of the said teeth on the rack and on the pinions allowing such lowering without causing a disengagement of the said teeth.

14. A device according to claim 13 wherein at least one driving motor is provided on the said second panel, at least one shaft controlled by said motor secured to and extending across said panel, a first bevel gearat least on one end of said shaft, a second bevel gear also carried by said panel and cooperating with said first bevel gear, and a universal knee like coupling for rotatably connecting the said second bevel gear with one of said pinions for enabling said second panel to be folded with the two bevel gears rotating with respect to the said pinions when said latter are in meshing engagement with said racks.

(References on following page) mamas .ke ferences 'Citedin the file-of this patent ,UNITED STATES 'PATENTS ,jMacGrcgor "S ept. 29, 1931 Gussack Apr.'9,v1935 5 "Sulowski Apr. 15, 1952 "Bowman -QMay 5, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 France Nov. 29,. 1948 

